


Renacer

by blua and oro (vehlr)



Series: Blue & Gold XY-XX - Mainverse [4]
Category: Blue Beetle (Comics), Booster Gold (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-02-13 23:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2169852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehlr/pseuds/blua%20and%20oro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(revival) - Booster Gold is in shock.</p><p>Because sometimes a miracle happens, and a second chance is given to her. Because it's never easy, and it will still hurt. Because he's a genius, and he knows her better than she realised. Ted Kord knew exactly what she would need.<br/>(Follows from Historio/estonteco but not super-essential)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Drive

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, the meat of my silly AU. I've been working on this for the first time in two years and it's finally clicking. I hope it's not too terrible.

The funny thing about broken promises is that, after a while, you remember them all quite suddenly and with great sadness – you stack them up, one on top of the other, and compare them to the great weight of guilt that hangs over you. The guilt is usually heavier, but you feel them both at once burning into you with horrific force and it bears down on you until you are buried, or broken.

And to be fair, she thinks, she has broken far more promises than most people – far bigger promises. So when she finds a pendrive in the drawer whilst rummaging for some superglue, the memory of the man who still haunted her comes back in full force. It sits in her hand, heavy and almost old. Of course, most technology feels old to her, but... there is an age here that has nothing to do with hardware and everything to do with the outline of a face that she will never forget.

A note to his future self, he had said. She wonders what he might have been trying to say.

Turning it over, she frowns slightly – the plastic moulding was coming away at the edge. Was time claiming this as another victim? But no, here... she pulls it further away, seeing the design unfold. Ted had rigged this to hide one last secret, it seemed. A set of co-ordinates.

Here, she hesitates. This was meant for him, she had no right to follow this up...

… _anything for you, Ted..._

 

***

 

Skeets holds his reservations, and she is glad for the silence. The warehouse is run-down and security is a little rudimentary for one of Ted's hideouts, but as the door opens and the musty air rushes out around her, it begins to feel like a classic Kord caper.

“Hey, buddy, any anomalies?”

The robot whirrs as he scans the area. “Strange energy readings coming from the far wall,” he says finally, and she follows his line of sight to a large terminal against the wall. Pulling back the dust sheets, she examines the console for an opening, a button... anything.

“Mistress Carter, I urge caution -”

“I know, I know... this is kind of a bad idea, right?”

“I worry that this is not the closure you need.”

“It's not about closure, it's... I owe this much to him. His last message to the world. It should be heard. Ah, here!” She finds the right port and inserts the drive, the soft click starting a range of noises as the terminal comes to life. She looks up to the screen that fills her vision entirely to find the face of Ted Kord beaming down at her, that gentle smile catching the breath in her throat.

“Hey.”

It is simple and warm and so... him. Already she can feel the tears building up. Well, what did she expect? The best part of three years without him, and now a video that had been lying in a drawer for a year was staring her in the face with kind eyes and tousled hair. _God_ , she thinks, _I was not ready for this_.

“You know, you didn't fool me for a second. Booster Gold and Blue Beetle no longer friends?” He smiles slightly. “It wasn't difficult to work out the truth after the second visit. In your time, I'm dead, and you blame yourself. Which isn't surprising, but I'd put money on it being completely unfounded. Nothing else could ever come between us. I just... I hope I died well, I guess.”

It is too much. Her knees buckle and she sinks to the floor, hand covering her mouth as the ache of grief overwhelms her again. She should have thrown out that blasted pendrive – better to live in ignorance than suffer further, surely? Even the idea falls hollow, despite the fresh pain. This is the last of him, the only part of Ted Kord left – the final secret that she will ever hear. It hurt, but it would in time be the most precious thing in the world.

The video continues. “Luckily I had time to make you a little something. Call it a gift – the only thing I could think you would ever need in a world without me. But in order to activate it, there's a password. Don't bother looking for it in my databases, it's … well, I think I know you well enough to predict you'll work it out. See, the word is simple – just tell me, exactly and succinctly, how you feel.”

The last words ring out and the screen boots up a text entry box, cursor blinking expectantly. She stares in horror, hand still covering her mouth. _He thinks he knows how I feel?_

“Ted, you.. you stupid... you _bastard_ ,” she hisses, hauling herself up on the console, “you have no _idea_ how I could possibly feel right now!” The anger, of course, is fleeting – she never could stay mad at him. Taking a deep breath, she stares down at the keyboard before shaking her head, her explanations to the screen murmured in defeat. “I lost my best friend, and it killed me. It truly killed me. I've battled the man who killed him and he got away. I had to fight the rotting _corpse_ of my best friend, and suffer his memory taunting me. I have bested time itself to save his life, and then been helpless to stop him from making the world right by dying again. So, Ted Kord, how do I feel? I feel like everybody was wrong when they said it would get better. I feel like my heart will never start up again. I feel like there's nothing on this earth you could possibly have 'prepared' for me that will bring me back from any of that.” She steps back and looks up one last time at her dearest friend. The man looks stricken – a trick of the light, she supposes. Shrugging, she manages a weak smile through the tears that begin to fall. “I feel dead, Ted. Completely and wholly broken. And... and there isn't a word for that feeling. So I guess you didn't know me well enough to put this little show into action, because if you did, you'd understand why I can't watch any more.” And walking away from the last gift of the Blue Beetle hurts, it really does, but she takes a step back and turns on her heel. She knows whatever he thought he knew about her could never fill that void in her being – because he never knew how much he meant to her.

Ted's voice crackles through the speakers. “'Chelle.”

She stops – cannot help but stop for him. Maybe he did know. _Damn it, Ted..._

“I'm sorry. I... I had no idea.” The speakers crackle again and something behind the console rumbles, the hum of heavy things moving slowly. “If I'd realised, even for a second, that you... well, there's not much I could have done, I guess, but please... just stay.” The crackle dissipates, and the voice becomes clearer and more distant. “All these wires,” the voice starts muttering darkly. She turns, finally, to see the mystery revealed.

The screen retracts upwards to reveal, behind the main wall, a hidden room of tubes and glass and endless blinking lights, and a very naked man all but falls out from the vertical bath, face contorted in a series of winces as he pulls wires from his chest haphazardly.

Michelle cannot comprehend the sight in front of her. _No. This is impossible._ She is seeing things, clearly the madness has finally set in. Instinct makes her take a step back, shoulders rigid and eyes wide. _Impossible_.

The man looks up at her, eyes imploring. “Stay. Stay with me, please. It's... it's really me. Promise. No tricks, no hologram, just... just me.” The man who looks and sounds like Ted Kord waits for some kind of response, but for the first time since his death Michelle Carter's heart stops completely.


	2. Halls

Skeets beeps a warning, only a few seconds in advance of the threat – a superhero-sized hole blasts open through the nearest wall and the Justice League's finest emerge through, Superman at the fore. The incredibly-naked Ted swallows hard, moving his hands to protect his modesty, but the astounded group cannot get past the face.

Hal is the first to come to life. “My god... Ted? Ted Kord? Is that... really you?”

“In the, uh... in the flesh,” he quips, eyes flicking between the group and Booster, who has not moved an inch.

Barry Allen scratches his head. “Is this a Lantern thing?”

“Hope not,” murmurs Hal, brow deeply furrowed. “Not after last time...”

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Ted begins, “but I'm pretty sure I can explain everything. If, uh, if I could get a sheet or something first, that would be great...”

Superman is the first to detach his cloak, but Barry steps forward to stop him. “Look, we have to verify that this really is the real Ted Kord and not some crazy robot zombie or whatever. We can't take any chances. Sorry,” he adds, and Ted knows that he means it. “We've just, ah... we've got to be sure.”

Diana nods, before stepping forward and wrapping the man up in the offered cloak. “Please, come with us.”

He hesitates, eyes fixed on the woman who had brought him back. Michelle has not moved an inch, shock still fixing her to the spot. Behind her looms Batman, placing one hand on her shoulder. She almost buckles under the touch, but it seems to embolden her to take a careful step forward. Her hand reaches up between them, bridging the gap to tentatively brush at Ted's messy hair. He smiles at the touch, and she blinks, almost overcome once more. Suddenly she throws her arms around him, an achingly tight embrace that he can barely return thanks to the cloak.

“You sure as hell better be Ted,” she whispers. “I can't do this again.”

“When I made you a robotic arm, the first thing you asked me was if it had a vibration setting,” he responds, smiling as she squeezes him even tighter. “I promise you, 'Chelle, it's really me.”

Diana tilts her head sympathetically. “Michelle, please... we have to be sure.”

“Take them both.” Batman's voice cuts across the group. Diana begins to protest, but he holds up a hand. “If he is the real Ted Kord, then no harm done. If he's not, Booster could be compromised.”

“Batman's right.” Disentangling herself to wipe her face with a hand, Booster nods at the cowled man. “I'm not _that_ much of an idiot. Better safe than sorry, especially with what we've seen.” Behind them, Superman nods to Diana who grabs Ted around the waist to escort him to the Halls. Booster watches the trio head out before letting out a long ragged breath, knees finally buckling as she bends down and buries her head in her hands. Batman nods imperceptibly at her, an almost-undetectable movement that conveys to her his approval. She would catch up with him later. He was the only one that knew of her daily struggle with her double-life.

“Need a ride?” offers Barry with a gentle smile, and she nods, wrapping her arms around his neck as he hoists her off the floor. “For what it's worth,” he adds, “I hope it's him.”

“Me too,” she murmurs.

“Hal, contact Jonn. We need to start screening. I'll get to work on this lab.” Batman begins to bark orders through his headset to Oracle, but the words are quickly lost in the rush as the Flash moves and Booster Gold is taken to the Halls of Justice.

 

***

 

The interrogation room is cold and harsh, but Ted looks perfectly content to be sat talking to Hal. The Green Lantern leans against the wall, watching him carefully.

“You, uh... you said you had an explanation for this?”

Ted nods before taking another long drink. “Clones. Well, better than clones. Physically a clone, but with a perfect set of memories. It was something I'd briefly looked into way back, when Michelle was injured by Devastator, but at the time it wasn't practical or safe to implement. And then a little ways down the road, an older Booster Gold tried to tell me that in her time we'd grown apart, and that we would never reconcile.” He pulls a face. “Like I was ever going to believe that story. We'd made it through the Conglomerate fiasco and come out the other side laughing, so I knew we could make it through anything.”

Behind the one-way mirror, Barry scratches his head, looking to Michelle for a response. Her eyes remain on Ted, though she cannot help but smile ever so slightly. “I didn't go _looking_ for him, I swear,” she explains, “but I... well, I had to go back to fix something, and he was just there. And when we ended up working together I _had_ to say something to explain myself. _I_ thought I was convincing...”  
“Clearly not,” smiles the Flash. “So is this what you do? Run around in time and stop problems before they happen? Because, you know, I _know_ you're not just show-boating. I know you're good at what you do, and you wouldn't give that up for nothing.”

She says nothing, but the smile as she reaches to squeeze his hand is answer enough. Putting one finger to her lips, the topic is dropped as they tune back into Ted's explanation.

“... and it only took me a few months of research to work out the kinks, and after that it was just a case of saving a new memory template every day until she showed up again. I don't know exactly how close to the end it was, though.” Ted's eye flick to the mirror, a worried look as he searches for a face that he knows must be on the other side of the glass.

She sighs. “It was just a matter of days before he... well, before he found Max,” she says quietly, and Barry squeezes her hand. “I wasn't going to go back. I mean, part of me would always want to, but it was like some kind of torture, seeing him alive and happy and... I just thought it would be better if I didn't go back. But he said it was an important message for his future self. Even though he wouldn't get the message, even though he was walking into Lord's web... I've let him down too many times over the years to do it again. I owed him that much, at least.”

“You didn't let him down, Michelle.”

“Sorry, but not even Diana makes that sound honest,” she quips, though she squeezes his hand by way of apology.

In the interrogation room, Hal rubs the back of his neck. “We'll find out for you,” he says carefully, “but you have to admit it does sound... a little far-fetched. I mean, how did you keep a clone alive for two and a half years?”

Ted blinks. “Wait, how long?”

“Two and a half years, give or take. Nearly three, really,” the Lantern repeats, and the man baulks. Hal frowns. “You didn't plan for that, I take it.”

“Three years... 'Chelle...” He runs a hand through his hair, somewhat dazed. “Jeez... I knew she was older but... really? Three years?”

“I kept that pendrive for a year,” she whispers. Barry turns to face her, confused. “I just... it wasn't for _me_ , it was for his 'future self', so I thought... I just kept it. Locked it away and wondered. Almost threw it away once. Almost...” She swallows, and Barry smiles gently.

“You didn't, though.”

“Yeah.” She shakes her head. “I guess that's something.”

Ted continues. “I had failsafes... a hundred different programs all running in tandem to keep everything operational. Even a power cut was protected against. Three backups and one more in case those failed. That warehouse is technically under the ownership of Wayne Enterprises, but I have a clause in my will that requires it to be left alone and kept on the grid. I think back then the only registered items of note were employee files from thirty years ago – nothing worth searching for. Nothing worth searching through, or underneath, for anything remotely interesting. I made sure 'Chelle would be able to access it all, but...” He trails off, shaking his head. “Three years... I sure missed a lot, huh?”

Hal smiles weakly. “You have no idea, Ted.”

In the observation room, Booster looks up as Jonn transitions into the room silently.

“Is it him?”

“We cannot be conclusive without more testing, but... I believe this man is Ted. At the very least, there is no deception in his mind, and his cells are a complete match for the archived DNA.”

She stares through the glass once more, swallowing hard. “God. I can't... I really can't believe it, you know?”

“You have mourned and moved on, and now all of that work is undone. It is quite unprecedented,” intones the Martian, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Should you wish to talk, I am at your disposal.”

“Thanks. Really, thank you. I think the person I really need to talk to is in there, though.” She takes in a shaky breath. “Hell of a conversation.”


	3. Back

They keep him in isolation for three days, running test after test after test. Michelle is always just on the edge of his vision, like a spooked pet – wary and still feeling a little wounded from the whole trial. But she cannot bear to let him out of her sight – even when the tests are done and he traipses back to the interrogation room to collapse on the cot they had fetched for him, she is drawn to the observation room, staring into the darkness with her forehead resting against the glass.

Eventually Bruce finds her.

“You haven't slept.”

She does not even glance up at him as he enters the room. “And you have?” His silence says it all. Taking the seat next to her, he lowers his cowl – a surprise in itself. She cannot remember the last time she saw his face. “I can't take my eyes off him. I'm half-expecting to find this is all some drug-induced dream.”

“Your bloodwork came back clean,” he points out.

“Well, it _would_ in a dream, wouldn't it?” She chuckles weakly. “But then again, I'd have imagined a big pile of money and some nubile oiled-up models to go with it all.”

Bruce manages a laugh – another miracle. “Naturally. But you're not really that self-centred, and this isn't a dream. For once, the universe has given you something truly spectacular... a second chance.”

“My life is a series of second chances. My real life, I mean.”

“Other people's second chances. This one is all yours.” He rests a hand on her shoulder, and his weight is warm and familiar. “Don't let it get away, Michelle.”

She turns, finally, a faint smile gracing her lips. “I forgave you a long time ago, Bruce, and I was a _lot_ more angry than he ever could be. He won't blame you for a second.”

In the interrogation room, Ted snorts, rolling over on the small cot and disrupting the sheets. They watch him sleep, both marvelling that this was a reality in which they now existed.

“What will happen to him now?” she asks after a while, and Bruce considers the question carefully.

“That's up to him. He has no family to contact, and very little in the way of assets, although Kord Industries has finally made it back into the black.”

“He's got family here.”

“Always. But the Tower isn't exactly a home.”

“I've got a spare room. I mean, Mikey doesn't stay over much anymore, so... he can stay with me. If he wants.”

“I have a feeling he would like that.”

“Yeah?”

“Michelle.” She looks to him, surprised at the smile on his face. “Trust me on this one. The way he looked at you when we found you? He'll want to be with you.” The turn of phrase makes her stomach flip, but in truth she hopes he is right – she cannot bear to be out of sight of him just yet.

A funny sort of thought occurs to her, and she chuckles. “You should smile more, you know. It looks good on you.”

He squeezes her shoulder, getting to his feet. “So should you, Booster. Work on that.”

 

***  
  


Dawn breaks on a new day, and Ted is trying to work out the kinks in his neck when the door opens and Bruce appears. Automatically, he straightens up – always did around the man – but the man says nothing, simply motioning him to follow.

They walk through the halls, and Ted notices a change.

“No guards.”

“No need,” confirms Bruce. “Welcome back to the real world, Beetle.”

“Glad that's been proven.” He stretches his arms above his head. “So what now?”

“That's up to you.” The doors ahead of them open to reveal a slew of faces that all smiled at the sight of him – Diana, Clark, Hal, Barry... and a few he barely recognised. Dinah all but squeals as she pulls him into a swift embrace, and beyond her Jonn raises a hand in greeting.

“So, Ted Kord.” Clark smiles broadly. “Back from the dead. What now?”

His gaze turns from the best of the Justice League to the window, and the endless possibilities. “I don't know,” he admits. “I, ah... I always had something to fall back on whenever things got bad. The money ran out a lot, but there was always something.”

“You've always got something, Ted.” Batman jerks his head in the direction of the doorway, where an awkward-looking Booster lingers, eyes downcast. As if on cue, she looks up to meet his eyes, shrugging as if to say, _coming?_

Ted grins, watching his best friend smile in response. “Yeah... I do.” He turns back to the group. “So, ah... I have a lot of catching up to do with all of you. But I also need to try and work out where I fit in the world now...”

“Take your time, Ted,” assures Diana in that gentle tone that still makes him feel warm inside. “We will be here when you are ready.”

The others nod in agreement, and he holds one hand up in thanks before heading over to Michelle. “So what's the plan?”

She shrugs lightly. “Home?”


	4. New

The apartment is smaller than he is used to – but then, he considers, her needs were probably a lot smaller too.

She gives him a whistle-stop tour. “Living room, kitchen's there, bathroom through there...” She shrugs. “It's not much, but...”

“It's great,” he reassures her with a smile. “Seriously, thank you.”

“Thank me when Mikey comes in at 6am to try and take you jogging,” she drawls, motioning him to follow her through the hall to the rest of the rooms.

“Mikey?”

“You know, Michae-” She stops, deflating slightly as she smacks her forehead. “Jeez, sorry, I... god, this is complicated. Okay, long story short – my brother's alive.”

“What?!” Ted's eyes widen, but she shakes her head.

“Really long story. Another time, I promise. You'll love him, though, everybody does. He's a sweetheart. Oh, and I guess I should mention Rani – that's your room, by the way, and mine just across, and down here through the gate is the lab. Rip sleeps here – if he even sleeps -”

In the doorway of the lab, Ted stops her. “Whoa, whoa. Slow down, please? You have a lab? And a... Rani?”

As if on cue, a small girl pokes her head out from behind one of the workbenches, eyes glittering at the sight of Michelle. “Mish!” She barrels over to hug her legs, and the woman smiles as she rests a hand on her head.

“Hey, Rani. Where's Rip?”

“Boppy's in the Time Sphere fixing what you broke.” She peers up at Ted with huge round eyes, and he smiles, offering a little wave.

Booster untangles herself from the girl's arms before kneeling next to her. “Rani, this is my friend Ted. Ted, this is my friend Rani.”

“Hi, Rani.” He offers a hand to shake, and she turns shy for a moment, cupping her hand over her mouth to whisper to Michelle. The woman's expression turns a little sad for a moment, shaking her head before murmuring to her.

“It's him, but not like that. It's... complicated, you know? I'll tell you all about it later, m'kay?”

The girl scrunches up her face in confusion for a moment before taking Ted's hand and dragging him across the lab. “C'mon Ted, you got a lot to see!” He looks back helplessly at Michelle, warmed by the soft expression on her face. For the first time since the warehouse, she seems... happy, almost.

Rip Hunter watches him with an inscrutable expression, before gesturing to Booster to join him in the sphere.

“Before you say anything,” she begins, holding her hands up defensively, “this is _definitely_ not my fault. He's a clone, he did all the work himself and we've been holed up in the Halls for the past few days getting the whole mess checked ou-”

“Michelle.” Rip puts a hand on her shoulder. “I know.”

“You know?” She sighs, pulling away. “Oh, of _course_ you know. You've always known, and you never thought to -”

“Someone told me not to.”

“Who?”

“You.” At her confused expression, he shrugs. “You from the future. Said if you found out before your time, it wouldn't work out this way. There would have been complications for both Ted _and_ the timestream.”

She considers this for a long moment, before smiling slightly. “Sounds about right. Glad to know future-me isn't such an idiot.”

“Actually, I just wanted to know... how are you dealing with all this?”

“Badly.” She flops into the chair. “I'm still terrified he's going to vanish if I turn around, but I can't... I can't look at him without remembering everything else.” She runs a hand through her hair as Rip crouches next to her.

“It'll get easier.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. It just... it's just difficult. It's Ted, but not all of Ted. Not quite.”

“How so?”

“He uploaded his memory into a cloned body. I mean, even the _idea_ sounds ridiculous. There's no way to know if anything was lost, if – I don't know, if files got corrupted. But he doesn't remember dying – it was all before that.” She takes in another deep breath. “And nobody's told him yet. Nobody wants to. But he'll ask, eventually. Who wouldn't?”

They watch Ted and Rani through the glass, the young girl showing him picture after picture of their oddball family that she had drawn as she animatedly explains their adventures. He glances up to catch Michelle's gaze, grinning, before Rani admonishes him for not listening.

“I'll have to tell him everything, won't I?” murmurs Booster, turning back to her mentor.

Rip stands up again, stretching out his arms. “Tell him what you can, when you're ready. But don't worry too much about it now – you both need space and time to come to terms with this new situation. And I'm sure the rest of the League will want their share of him.”

She nods, looking back to her mentor. “Skeets has been getting messages all day. News is spreading.”

“That would explain why Fire left a frantic message. Michael was beginning to worry about you.”

“Where is he, anyway?”

Rip shrugs. “Stepped out to get some groceries, I think. He complained about the fridge again, naturally.”

Outside the sphere, Rani hauls Ted around the lab, showing off her favourite things, before pulling him towards the sphere. “And this is the Time Sphere that Mish travels in most of the time and sometimes I get to go with her but not often because it's dangerous or because Boppy says I'll be bored or because Mikey wants to take me for ice cream. Do you like ice cream?”

Ted looks completely bowled over by the barrage of information. “Uh.”

“He loves ice cream,” supplies Michelle, patting her knee as Rani beams at her. “Especially triple-chocolate fudge sundaes. Bet you anything he hasn't had one of those in a long time, though.”

Rani scrabbles into her lap, looking up at the woman. “Why?”

“Because some doctor told him he couldn't eat it anymore or he might... might get fat.”

“Why?”

“I think the doctor was secretly a villain in disguise,” she admits, and the girl giggles as Ted shakes his head in despair. “But when Mikey gets back, we'll all get ice cream and prove the doctor wrong. Sound good?” Rani nods, and Michelle smiles back, kissing her forehead.

“Good to see you back in the land of the living, Kord,” Rip says, shaking the man's hand.

“Thanks, Rip. Rani was just telling me about what you guys do around here, although she did miss out the parts about ice cream...”


	5. Home

The phone keeps ringing and ringing throughout the day. Eventually, Ted answers.

“Bea, please don't cry. It's fine, really. I'm fine. _Really._ No, really!”

Michelle lingers in the hallway for a moment, listening in.

“No, seriously, it's all fine. I'm gonna be here for a while... yeah, I thought it'd be for the best... come over? I don't even know where 'over' is...”

“Psst!” Michelle turns to see her brother beckoning her over. “So I figure we're going to need to get him some stuff – clothes, a laptop, whatever else he needs to keep up. Do you know his sizes?”

“Not a clue, big guy.” She runs a hand through her hair, thinking. “Need money? The tech's gonna have to be pretty top-range, he'll want to take it apart.”

Michael shrugs. “I can make do.”

“I can get money, Mikey, it's not a big deal.”

“You look exhausted, 'Chelle. You need _rest_ , not a night of publicity.” He folds his arms. “I can manage.”

“I'll be fine, stop fussing. Just let me call my agent and see what party I can crash -”

“Michelle!”

“Uh...” Ted hovers in the hallway, phone in his hand, and the siblings stop squabbling as they turn to face him. “Sorry to intrude, but...”

Michael smiles kindly at him. “Oh, don't worry about it, we do this all the time. She works herself too hard, you know?”

“You are _such_ a mother hen, jeez,” grumbles Booster, reaching out to take the phone off Ted and dialling furiously. “I've been off the grid for days, I should make an appearance somewhere – oh, hey Manny. Yeah, I know, sorry. League had me on lockdown. What's happening?”

As she moves away to talk to her agent, Ted raises an eyebrow and Michael sighs deeply.

“You know the world thinks she's a loser, right? She explained that much?” At his continued confusion, Michael motions for him to sit on the couch. “Okay, well... in order to keep her time-travelling adventures protected and safe, she has to act like a complete idiot to the rest of the world. Superheroes think she's a joke, the public think she's fame-hungry and vapid, even the villains think she's an easy fight. They're all wrong, of course, but... it's necessary. The people who need to know, know the truth. But to everyone else, the Carter name is kind of a turn-off. Her agent hooks her up with celeb parties, knowing she'll look like a total fool, in exchange for endorsement deals.” He shrugs. “It's how a lot of Z-list celebrities make money nowadays, apparently. But it's basically a second job, on top of an already-huge list of responsibilities.”

“Wow. How does she cope with that? Back when we were running around... well, back then, we cared what people thought of us. Sure, we weren't top billing stars, but...”

“She stopped caring a long time ago. The people that matter? They know the truth. It took her a long time, but she got there eventually.” He smiles, tilting his head. “When you hit rock bottom, there's nowhere else to go but up.”

“Huh.” Ted hears a door open behind him, and turns to see - “ _Whoa_.”

Michelle emerges from her room, transformed by a considerable amount of make-up and hairspray, into the kind of pin-up Ted used to daydream about as a teenager. The tiredness of the past few days is swept away underneath soft curls of blonde, and ridiculously long legs finish in impossibly-high heels. She pats him on the shoulder and stoops to kiss her brother's cheek.

“Paris Hilton's new single is out tomorrow,” she says before he can ask. “Pre-launch party. I'll be the one falling out of the cab before she's even made it there. Don't wait up.”

“Be careful!” calls Michael as she waves over her shoulder, before turning back to Ted's dumb expression. “Hey. That's my sister, come on.”

“Sorry.” He is not even a bit sorry, in truth – that had been the first time since his awakening that Michelle had been anything but horrified, tired or downright evasive, and she had looked _stunning_ to boot. “Future-shock. Won't happen again.”

Michael narrows his eyes, clearly not convinced. But after a moment he laughs, shaking his head. “You two are ridiculous. Come on,” he adds, hauling himself up, “let's get you some clothes.”

 

***

  
  
She slinks back into the apartment before midnight, but Ted is the only one still up, camped out in front of the television and looking mildly horrified at what passed as 'news'. She hesitates for a moment, before letting the warm glow of the one drink she had been allowed envelope her as she closes the door. “Still here?”

“Yep. Bea tried to get me out, but I argued exhaustion and she let me off the hook for now. Come and explain this whole Kardashian thing to me.” He pats the couch and she kicks off the heels before joining him, long legs stretching out to rest on the coffee table.

“God, Ted, you pick the _worst_ channel to catch up on. E!, seriously?”

“I wanted to know what you were up to. Nice fall, by the way. Have you been taking acting classes?” His tone is light, and it is almost like the old patter. Almost.

“It's a gift, truly. Thought I told you not to wait up.”

He chuckles. “Well, after Michael took Rani home and Rip closed the wormhole to the lab – which, by the way, you _completely_ glossed over despite knowing I would love that sort of information, thanks for that – I got bored. Started to take apart my phone but the TV called to me. The picture quality is amazing.”

“I forget,” she murmurs, “just how much of my life is actually extraordinary to others.”

“Tell me about it.” She chuckles, and he turns the volume down, turning to face her. “No, I mean it. Tell me about your life. Everyone's told me what you _do_ , all the insane time-travel and even crazier parties, but what about _you_?”

Michelle shrugs. “There isn't much else to say. A lot's happened in the time you were... you were gone, but it's kind of a messy story to talk about...” She tries to pick out something, anything that would not come back to the fact that she had essentially spent the whole time mourning, but comes up short. “I don't know, I still feel like I'm in a haze. Probably just tired.”

He looks a little disappointed, but pats her on the arm. “Go get some sleep. I'll still be here in the morning.”

She hauls herself to her feet, faltering for a second before nodding. “Better be.” And she staggers off to her room, only finally letting out a long breath as the door closes behind her.

_Better be._

 

***

  
_  
Guy has her in a headlock, but she can barely breathe for laughing – it had been his own damn fault for leaving his ring out after all! - and she has never felt more alive. Her vision is a little fuzzy from the tears, but the familiar blob of the Martian Manhunter scolds her for the prank as she tries to blame it all on Ted._

“ _Who?”_

_And then everything goes cold, the tight grip of the Green Lantern's arm loosening as they all fade away in a cloud of confused looks and questions. Ted? Who's Ted? Ted?_

 

“Ted!”

She sits bolt upright, clutching into the air for a figure no longer there. Blinking unsteadily, she tries to catch her breath back, rubbing her forehead. Just a nightmare...

Her bedroom door opens and Ted sticks an arm through, waving. “Hey. You, ah... you dressed?”

She pulls up the sheets, and smiles despite herself. “Yeah, I'm covered.”

“Okay. Coming in.” He emerges, smiling right back at her. “Bad dream, right?” At her nod, he perches on the edge of the bed, reaching for her hand. “Still here, though. You'll get used to it, I promise.”

“I know, I know.” She sighs. “When I first found Rani, she had terrible nightmares, but it got better. Same with Mikey, after Coast City. He, ah... he ran away,” she adds, “found peace and happiness and the love of his life... just before Coast City was destroyed, along with his dreams.”

“God, that must have been rough.”

“Yeah. It took a long time for him to come to terms with that, but he did.” She runs her free hand through her hair before shrugging. “You okay?”

He chuckles. “Nice to sleep in an actual bed for once. And I'm not gonna get prodded and poked today! Well... not too much, I hope.”

“I'll try and keep it to a minimum,” she promises, squeezing his fingers. Despite the nightmare, she feels a lot better for the rest. And it still feels like a dream to be here with this man, alive and well after so many years of feeling so pathetically alone. Her chest tightens in an all-too-familiar motion, eyes burning. Ted almost falls off the bed as she throws herself at him, arms wrapping around him in a tight hug.

“Hey, it's okay. It's alright,” he murmurs, “it's all over now.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it's alright.” She buries her face into his neck, desperate to stop the emotions bubbling over once more. Enough tears had been shed, after all. “Just... glad you're here.”

He chuckles, stroking her back lightly for a moment. “Me too, Booster. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the story... well, the start of it. There is, after all, still a long way to go before these two find a new measure of normality. Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
